Microsoft Loses S. Korea Patent Case

South Korea is again proving to be a thorn in Microsoft's side, as the company over the weekend lost a patent battle in the country concerning its Office software. The decision could force the Redmond company to halt sales of the popular productivity suite in South Korea.

The country's supreme court rejected attempts by Microsoft to have a patent surrounding technology to automatically switch input modes between Korea and English thrown out. The patent had been awarded to Lee Keung-Hae, a Hankuk Aviation University professor, in 1997.

Lee first filed suit against Microsoft in 2000, however awarding of damages and the appeals process were held up while the company challenged the patent. With the judgement in Lee's favor, the case would now be able to proceed.

Lawyers representing Lee are asking for copies of Office software with the technology to be pulled from store shelves, and feel that the decision strengthens their fight to win monetary damages, which they estimate at 70 billion won ($75.11 million USD).

Microsoft still remains adamant it will prevail in the end, even filing a new lawsuit with further evidence of so-called "prior art," a common defense in patent infringement cases.